Etihad Airways, the national airline of the United Arab Emirates, celebrated the highly-anticipated arrival of its award-winning Airbus A380 service at New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK), welcoming and thanking guests travelling on the first flights between two of the world’s top travel destinations.

New York becomes the first US port of entry to join
Etihad Airways’ network of Airbus 380 destinations

Airline increases seat capacity and enhances daily
service between Abu Dhabi and New York just in time for busy holiday travel
season, 2015
Formula 1 Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix

Exclusive, ground-breaking air travel innovations for
guests include The Residence by Etihad™,
First Apartments, Business Studios and Economy Smart Seats

Yesterday
marked the US debut of the airline’s exclusive A380 service, including The Residence
by Etihad™, the only
commercially available three-room suite in the sky, luxurious First Apartments,
comfortable Business Studios and Economy Smart Seats. The A380 now serves
guests travelling on one of the airline’s two daily flights between Abu Dhabi
and New York.

“The
arrival of our A380 service at JFK International Airport is an important
milestone for Etihad Airways as we respond to increased demand from our guests
travelling between Abu Dhabi and New York and it represents the significant
growth our airline has undergone in just 12 years of operation,” said James
Hogan, Etihad Airways’ President and Chief Executive Officer. “Etihad Airways
has stayed ahead of the competition by providing our guests with the luxury,
comfort, and hospitality they expect and deserve when they fly with us, and by
remaining focused on continuing to transform the air travel experience across
all cabins of service.”

Mr
Hogan continued: “The revolutionary products found onboard Etihad Airways’
fleet of A380s completely reimagine commercial aviation standards and we are
proud to bring them to our guests travelling between the US and Abu Dhabi.”

The
introduction of the airline’s signature A380 travel experience comes just in
time for the busy holiday travel season, as well as to serve guests travelling
to the 2015 Formula 1 Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix taking place from 27
to 29 November 2015.

The
inaugural Abu Dhabi to New York A380 flight EY 103 landed at JFK International
Airport yesterday. The return JFK-AUH flight EY102 arrived into Abu Dhabi this
afternoon.

Guests staying in The Residence by Etihad enjoy the ultimate in luxury travel,
both on the ground and in the air. From a chauffeur-driven limousine service to
Concierge Service and private check-in at the airport, every part of the travel
experience is seamless and discreet. Guests of The Residence will also enjoy
the airline’s newly opened First and Business Class Lounge, featuring a dedicated
area for their exclusive use.

Located on the forward upper deck of the A380, The Residence is
available for US$32,000 one way between Abu Dhabi and New York - for either
single or double occupancy. The ultra-private, three-room suite features a
living room with a 32” LCD monitor, bedroom with a double bed, separate
en-suite shower room, and dedicated Butler trained at the Savoy Academy in
London to look after the needs of its discerning guests. The revolutionary
cabin also comes with a private chef ready to custom-create menus to order.

The
nine First Apartments in First Class are private living spaces featuring a
reclining Poltrona Frau leather lounge chair and ottoman, which opens up to
become a separate 80.5 inch long fully-flat bed. This marks a 74 per cent
increase in space from Etihad Airways’ current award-winning First Class
Suites. Each Apartment features a 24-inch flat-screen television, a chilled
mini-bar, personal vanity unit, and wardrobe. A fully
equipped shower room is available for the exclusive use of First Class guests.

A
total of 70 Business Studios, set in a 1-2-1 configuration, are located on the
upper deck of the A380, all offering direct aisle access, a fully flat bed of
up to 80.5 inches long and an increase of 20 per cent in personal space.

The
Lobby, a luxurious lounge located between the First Class and Business Class
cabins, features two comfortable leather sofas and a staffed bar serving a wide
selection of hot snacks and refreshments, perfect for relaxing and socialising.

The main deck features 415 Economy Smart Seats which offer unique
ergonomic fixed-wing headrests, lumbar support and an 11-inch personal,
high-definition monitor screen to enjoy over 750 hours of on-demand movies and
series, improved gaming and live TV programming via the state-of-the-art
Panasonic eX3 entertainment system.

Also
unique to Etihad Airways, the airline offers a dedicated inflight child care
assistance programme for families, led by a Flying Nanny available onboard long-haul
flights and trained
by the world renowned Norland College.

Since its launch in 2013, the Flying Nanny has
become a key feature on Etihad Airways’ long haul flights, providing a ‘helping hand’ to families and children and creating fun and memorable
moments with games and activities.

The
Residence by Etihad is exclusive to Etihad Airways’ fleet of A380s, which
currently serve London’s Heathrow, Sydney and now New York’s JFK, with services
to Mumbai and Melbourne scheduled to begin on 1 May 2016 and 1 June 2016,
respectively. The airline’s A380 fleet will grow to a total of 10 aircraft.

Guests on all Etihad Airways flights from Abu Dhabi
International Airport (AUH) to the airline’s six US ports of entry, including
New York’s JFK Airport, are processed through the US Customs and Border
Protection (CBP) Preclearance facility, which allows them to clear all US immigration
and customs checks in Abu Dhabi and arrive at their US destination as domestic
passengers. Other US airports served by Etihad Airways include Chicago (ORD),
Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW), Los Angeles (LAX), San Francisco (SFO) and
Washington’s DC (IAD).